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The neighborhood of St. Anthony, while long known for its open green parks, riverside patios, and cascading namesake waterfall, has in recent years garnered itself a superlative completely apart from its natural beauty: Minneapolis’ vintage Mecca. Clustered near the corner of Fifth Street Northeast and East Hennepin Avenue are four vintage shops with distinctly unique character and charm, the group of which make up an unofficial co-op affectionately dubbed the “Northeast vintage block.”
“The Golden Pearl has been here since 2016, followed by Twelve Vultures in 2018. Olio followed in fall 2022 and Moth Oddities opened two doors down in summer 2023,” recalls vintage collector Jahna Peloquin, who owns Rosella Vintage, a permanent vendor within Olio. “By then it really began to feel like our block was becoming a destination for vintage shopping.”
This Saturday, these four shops are officially joining forces for the first time, partnering together to host the inaugural Northeast Vintage Block Party, which will take place in the back parking lot of Olio Vintage and Moth Oddities. Joined by a group of 17-plus guest vendors, music by DJ Jake Ryan, art by Matthew D’Ascenzo, and refreshments and bites by Gardens of Salonica, the first-of-its-kind event will be a celebration of the neighborhood’s vibrant and ever-growing vintage community.
“This year our neighborhood has had to deal with a lot of road construction, which has impacted business,” shares Yana Pietras, co-owner of Moth Oddities. “The area has been difficult for shoppers to navigate and find parking, resulting in sales dropping 40-60%. The Northeast Vintage Block Party is a way for the community to come together and support the neighborhood.”
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Attendees can come Saturday prepared for a diverse shopping experience, with vendors ranging in style, offerings, and sourcing methods. Moth Oddities, for example—the newest member of the Northeast Vintage Block—receives regular shipments of vintage clothing from a buyer in Northern Italy, stocking its racks with an air of European romanticism. Meanwhile Twelve Vultures, one of the earliest fixtures of the four stores, works closely with private collectors to source unique curiosities from around the world, resulting in everything from skulls and taxidermy to antique statues and macabre artifacts.
Having just turned over her summer offerings, Peloquin cued us into what shoppers can expect from Rosella this weekend, hinting at a fresh selection of fall staples and elevated basics, with some dresses and formalwear peppered in.
“I always like to source and style my racks with themes in mind,” shares Peloquin. “For this fall, I’m focusing on classic prep school style, cottagecore Americana, 1970s hippie, and minimalist ’90s.”
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As much as the event is an opportunity to source one-of-kind fall vintage, it is also a chance to support the small businesses of Northeast Minneapolis, a community which is proud of the colorful block it occupies, even through the construction complications. Pietras expresses her desire for the block party to continue annually, and to hopefully grow “bigger and better” each year.
“Olio was created out of community, literally,” says Peloquin, “collaborating with our neighbors was a natural move.”
Stop by the back lot of Fifth Street Northeast and East Hennepin Avenue this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. to start curating your fall wardrobe at this inaugural vintage event.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the Northeast vintage block’s location as near the corner of Fifth Street and Hennepin Avenue. The correct street names are Fifth Street Northeast and East Hennepin Avenue.
